Office of the Vice President Research

Human Research Protection Program (HRPP)

The research community at the University of Virginia (UVA) recognizes the immense contribution that human subjects provide the research initiative. The Human Research Protection Program advocates for human subjects in research by working in concert with UVA researchers to ensure that they have the education and tools they need to work ethically with participants in their research studies. UVA’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) & Post-Approval Monitoring (PAM) offices work with the other HRPP partner offices to ensure that compliance with federal regulations and ethical principles create research environments that are proactively protecting participants as researchers achieve their research goals.

Huron's IRB System Demonstration video is now available (behind Netbadge) 

Please share your thoughts with us as we consider this system while making future plans for UVA's HRPP.

Education & TrainingHRPP Standard Operating Procedures Post Approval Monitoring

The Institutional Review Board for Health Sciences Research (IRB-HSR) is a key part of UVA's HRPP and is responsible for reviewing all medically related research in compliance with federal regulations, in addition to HIPAA, involving human subjects conducted by UVA faculty, employees and students.

The Institutional Review Board for Social and Behavioral Sciences (IRB-SBS) is the IRB responsible for reviewing all non-medical behavioral, social and educational human subject research studies for compliance with federally regulations.
Is my project a Human Subject Research study?

It is the responsibility of each investigator to seek IRB review and approval prior to initiation of any research involving human subjects or before conducting any clinical investigation. However, not all projects are Human Subject Research.  To learn more, check out our Non-Human Subject Research page to learn more about these types of project determinations.

To which side of the IRB should I submit my study?

UVA is a large institution.  To better serve the research community, the university decided years ago to have the IRB specialize by having one side of the IRB focus on serving Biomedical Research (primarily for the health system) and having the other side of the IRB focus on Behavioral Research (primarily for the academic side).  

See graphic below. To learn more about which side of the IRB you should submit your study to, please go to our webpage Which side of the IRB should I submit to?

Description of decision process for the specialized sides of the IRB.

 

Timeline for a Human Subject Research Study

 

Important Dates


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Blue HSR small - Important Dates



IRB-HSR Full Board Meetings

IRB-HSR Full Board Meetings


Virtual

The IRB-HSR Full Board Meetings occur on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month.

IRB-SBS Full Board Meetings


Virtual

IRB-HSR Full Board Meetings


Virtual

IRB-SBS Full Board Meetings


Virtual

Ethical Principles

IRB review is based on the ethical principles outlined in the Belmont Report, the Nuremburg Code, and the Declaration of Helsinki. 

Please refer to our Ethical Principles webpage to learn more.

Federal Regulations

The University of Virginia's Biomedical and Behavioral Institutional Review Boards (IRB-HSR and IRB-SBS) both apply the federal regulations for the review of human subject research studies as appropriate to the specific research project.  

More information can be found on our webpage about the federal regulations.

Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) Information

University of Virginia Institutional Official: Lori McMahon, Vice President for Research

FWA Information

UVA Federal Wide Assurance
FWA#:00006183 
Exp. Date: July 7, 2026

More information on UVA's Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) can be found here.

Accreditation seal          Smart IRB seal 

Anonymous Reporting

Allegations of misconduct can be reported confidentially to the University's Research Integrity Officer (RIO) in the Office of the Vice President for Research or through the University's Compliance Helpline.